Means employed in



NEWBERRY W. WHEELER, OF EAST CLEVELAND, QI-IIO.

MEAN-S EMPLOYED IN KEY SYSTEMS" FOR- TITLE EXAMINERS.

Specification of'Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Application filed May 5, 1917. Serial No. 166,693.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEWBERRY W. l/VHEELER, a citizen of the United States, resident of East Cleveland, county of Guyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means Employed in Key Systems for Title Examiners, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being here1n explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to means employed in key systems for the use of title examiners and particularly relates to that part of such means which pertains to the work of court searchers. Specifically, my improvement provides means whereby the necessity of court searchers having to examine all the cases, that appear either in the plant index of the company involved or the court index under the name of the party owning the land, is obviated, such complete search having heretofore been made regardless of the fact that some of the cases might have been begun years before the period of ownership commenced, but might have been pending for years and gone to judgment or decree after the party acquired title.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forthin detail certain means embodying my invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but one of various forms in which the principle of the invention may be employed".

In said annexed drawing:

Figure 1 represents a portion of a page of a ledger utilized in that part of my 1 mproved means in which cases were begun and disposed of prior to a time that entrles are made as the case advances, as will be hereinafter fully explained, such ledger being adapted to receive one thousand cases to the double page or one hundred cases to a column and five columns on each single page; Fig. 2 represents a portion of a page of a ledger utilized when entries are made as the case advances; and Fig '3 represents a portion of a court journal index indicating certain data concerning the several court terms as a whole.

My improved means is in reality a block system in which the court has already provided the natural blocks, 6., the terms of court. For illustration, the terms of the Court of Common Pleas of Cuyahoga county, Ohio, are used, said terms for the purpose of this system bein numbered consecutively from 1, commencing with the first term in 1901, there being four terms each year. The court cases are numbered consecutively, the single page of which a portion isindicated-in Fig. 1 containing cases 108001 to 108500. Upon the ledger opposite thecase numbers are placed the numbers of the terms of court, respectively, in which entries are made which contain a personal judgment, judgment for costs, land levy, or other entry which affects or potentially atfects the title to some particular parcel of real estate which any party in the case owned at the time such entries are made, as terms and 36 in case 108101, term 38 in case 108302, etc. It will be noted that some cases, such as 108202 and 108203, are still pending and have had no decreases or entries handed down or entered concerning them which affect or potentially affect real estate titles. These systems are designed to cover any arbitrary period of years preceding the actual time when such a system is commenced to be maintained and in order "that sucharbitrary number of years may be included in the system, the cases with'm'those gears aregiven their proper numbers and the court terms in which pertinent entries are made are indicated, and'some other data concerning the case whichis thought 'neces sary for the individual cases, it not being necessary, of course, to indicate-all of the successive steps' ot the cases, most of which will have been disposed of prior to the time that the system is tlius instituted. Some few cases will, of course, still pending as noted above. This ,part of the system is particularly used, as just explained for-disposing of cases which occur within the period that it is desired-to cover by the system but which were begun and-disposed of prior to a time that entries are made opposite the case numbers, as thecase advances, as now will be described. These last-mentioned entries which are used consist in an arbitrary series of'sym'bols, as shown in the cases suggested in Fig. 2, each symbol being a key tosome particular court action and being entered progressively as the case advances;

An explanation of the symbols in three of the cases ineach of Figs. 1 and 2 will now be'given. In Fig. 1, the symbols in case No.

108,001 indicate that this case went to de-- cree in court term No. 31 and was ordered taken out of the court index, if it was found posted to the involved land in the regular abstract plant records, inasmuch as the costs and personal judgment, if any, Were either paid or were dormant. The symbols further indicate that the case has not been reported back as posted and taken out of the index. The symbols in case No. 108,003 indicate that this was a divorce case in which the woman was the plaintiff and that it went to decree in court term No. 37 The symbols in case No. 108,102 indicate that this was a case which went to decree in court term No. 37 that it was not a suit directly involving land and that the costs and personal judgment are either paid or dormant. They further indicate that the names were ordered out of the index and that the same has been done and reported back as indicated by J. The symbols in case No. 108,104indicate that the case went to decree in court term No. 37, that the decree could not affect the defendant, and so was ordered out of the index. By this description the significance of the symbols attached to the other case numbers in Fig. 1 can be Worked out. In Fig. 2,the symbolsin case No. 151,001 indicate that this is a case affecting land and that the same has been sent to one parcel in the locality; that no personal judgment has been asked and that it consequently has not been sent to the court index. They further indicate that the case is still pending. The symbols in case No. 151,002 indicate that a personal judgment has been asked against the first defendant, who has been sent to the court index. The case is still pending. The symbols in case No. 151,101, indicate that this is a divorce casein which the W0- man was the defendant; that a decree for the defendant was rendered on Feb. 27, 1917; that the plaintiff is to pay the costs and that nothing is said about real estate or barring dower. The symbols in case No. 151,102 indicate that a personal judgment was asked against the first defendant who r was sent to the index upon November 17 1916, the case being dismissed by the court at the plaintifi"s cost and the first plaintiff (the only plaintiff) sent to the court index for costs. On November 18, 1916, plaintiff paid the costs and allnames were ordered out of the index, but are not yet reported out. The symbols in case No. 151,201 indicate that it is a pending divorce case in which the woman is the plaintiff. 151,202 indicates that it is a pending divorce case in which the woman is the defendant. The symbols in case No. 151,301 indicate that it was a suit to quiet title in which the plaintifi was sent to the court index, inasmuch as costs are usually adjudged against him. Case was also sent to the locality register.

On November 15, 1916 a decree was entered for the plaintiff and the plaintiff was to pay costs. On January 30, 1917, the plaintifi did pay the costs and all names in the court index were ordered out, if the parcel had gone to the locality register. Was reported back that the case was found in the proper locality and the plaintifi was taken out. of the index and the same was so checked. The symbols in No. 151,302 inclicate that the case was not sent to the court index but to the locality register on September 19, 1916. WVas dismissed by the court at the defendants costs on October 31, 1916. Defendant was not sent to the court index on dismissal for the reason that it was some entity similar to the city of Cleveland or county of Ouyahoga against whom the records would not show costs. After the costs were paid, the case Was ordered out of the index, if found in the locality register. Having been found in the locality register and no names found in the index, the same was reported back and so checked. From the foregoing, the significance of the symbols in cases 151,401 and 151,402 can be worked out. There is provided for each term of court a journal and Fig. 3 represents a suggestion of a court journal index utilized to furnish certain data concerning the terms of court as a whole.

From the foregoing description and drawing, it will be readily apparent that if, for instance, a party acquired title in October 1906 to a piece of real estate, upon which an examination is requested, October 1906 being in the fourth term of court of that year and, according to my arbitrary numbering, being term N0. 24, and said party titled in August 1909, that being in the third term of court of that year and, under my arbitrary system of numbering, being term No. 35, then his period of ownership is from court terms 24 to 35 and cases placed opposite his name in the regular court index of names could be eliminated which contain the numbers of cases disposed of in terms of court no higher than 23 and, if this system is used in connection with an abstract plant in which all cases affecting particular parcels. of land are sent to their particular local- 115 ity, then all cases could also be eliminated which were disposed of in terms of court higher in number than 35' It is apparent that if the regular abstract plant, as a part of its usual-records, posts all cases afiecting used in connection with such an abstract plant, thenthose cases opposite the partys name in the regular court index Which were filed in terms 24 to 35 inclusive and Were disposed of Subsequently to term 35 should also be examined.

Attention should be directed'to the fact that cases which are carried up to appellate courts are accounted for by numbers of the appellate court terms especially designated, such as 18 encircled in case No. 108002 in Fig. 1 and also 20 encircled in case No. 108204 in said Fig. 1.

hat I claim is:

1. In means employed in key systems for title examiners, the combination with consecutive court case numbers; of an arbitrary system of indications, disposed adjacently thereto and based on the terms of court, for denoting in Which terms any decrees or other actions afi'ecting or potentially affecting title to real estate were had in the several cases.

' 2. In means employed in key systems for title examiners, the combination With consecutive court case numbers; of key numbers based on an arbitrary consecutive numbering of the terms of court and disposed adjacently to those cases, respectively, in Which decrees or other actions affecting or potentially affecting title to real estate were had in the several terms.

3. In means employed in key systems for title examiners, the combination of consecutive court case numbers; symbols denoting the progressive action of the cases disposed adjacently thereto, respectively; and an arbitrary system of indications based on the terms of court for denoting in which terms any decrees or other actions aflecting or potentially affecting title to real estate were had in the several cases.

4. In means employed in key systems for title examiners, the combination of consecutive court case numbers r symbols denoting the progressive action of the cases disposed adjacently thereto, respectively; and key numt bers based on an arbitrary consecutive numbering of the terms of court and disposed adjacently to those cases, respectively, in which decrees or other actions affecting or potentiallyaffecting title to real estate were had in the several terms. I

Signed my me, this 26 day of April,

NEWBERRY W. WHEELER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. 0. 

